Part of the teeth
Crown
The crown is the part of the tooth that is visible above the gums, inside the mouth.
Root
The tooth roots are located below the gum and hold the teeth within the jaw bone. Incisor and canine teeth have one root. Premolars can have one or two roots while upper molar teeth generally have three roots and lower molar teeth have two roots.
Enamel
Tooth enamel is the hard, white calcified tooth structure that makes up the outside layer of the crown. It is the hardest substance in the human body and protects the inside parts of the tooth. Tooth enamel cannot repair itself when damaged. There are no nerves in the tooth enamel and it cannot feel pain.
Dentine
This is the inside layer of the tooth that is protected by the hard enamel. Dentine is made of tiny tubes with nerve fibres present which gives the dentine feeling. It is yellowish in colour.
Cementum
The hard tissue layer covering the surface of the tooth roots. This outer layer is not as strong as enamel.
Dental pulp
The soft tissue in the centre of the tooth that contains nerves and blood vessels. It runs down the centre of the tooth root/s connecting to the blood and nerve supply in the surrounding jaw bone.
Periodontal ligament
Soft tissue fibres that surround the tooth root connecting the tooth to the surrounding jaw bone.